The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-07-22
THE GRAND ARMY.
Dan Manning's Appeal for it's Dis
bandment.

A good deal has been said of late re-
garding President Cleveland's position
toward the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, and it may not be amiss to show by
what proxy reasoning good deal of the
Presidents contempt for this noble or
ganization springs. In 1850. when Dan
Manning was the managing editor of the
Albany, n. Y, Argus, he wrote the fol-
lowing editorial, as taken from the Sun
day Telegraph. 1t should not be forgot
ten that Manning is and has been for
years Cleveland's personal political ad-
wiser, and the editorial effusion of Man
ming at the time noted may be put down
as rejecting Mr.. Cleveland's sentiments
ut this time. 1t is the production of u
man who has held one of TIE most i'm
portant cabinet positions under the pres.
ent administration, it is the sentiment
of man who did more than all others
to secure Cleveland's nomination, and
it is an objectionable insult to Union
soldiers who constitute the Grand Army
of the Republic, offered by Democrat
the confidential. adviser of Demo
cratic President.
Read what Manning says:
"In the opinion of many citizens at
the start, the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie was as likely TO prove an evil as a
good. Such citizens ielt that it tended
to prolong and increase the asperities OF
the interstate conflict. They believed
and believe that the best thing nation
can do after civil war is TO forget it,
They did not expect all who took part
IN the civil war to share this belief-bul
they did expect the ablest and hes,
would and they were not disappointed
Nor were they changed from their opin
ion about the Grand Army of the Re
public. Its prominent membership fol
years comprised loud, brawling mel
who went to the war TO escape theil
characters, or because there WAS money
in il. The soldiers v no had been anC
who are the best citizens had little or NJ
influence in the order IN many places
The decorations of the graves were
made the subject of orders of brutal
ty and illiteracy. Now and then the
better influences got control, but the ef
tort to keep it taxes all their energies
The patriotic citizens who were soldiers
and those who were not, unite in tn,
conviction that the organization has sur
vived Its usefulness and is a part of
military spirit that ought not Ia be fos
tered among a people that would b,
free.
Not merely because the better, NOR,
! civilized and more impressive observ
ance of decoration would be secured b'
the civil authorities, should the Crane
Armv of the Republic disband. Tn,
organization stands across the path o
the civil spirit. 1t fosters the military
spirit. The first Is life and the seconC
is death to liberty. The organization i
also a standing prohibition on polite
and journalism from truth-telling abou
soldiers. That Is fine for rascals VIII,
went to the war. That time has come
. And il is not too much to ask the sensi
BILE members of the Grand Army of tn,
Republic to START promptly movement
to disband the organization Throughout
the country, and to turn over its habi
of decorating the graves of the dead 4
civil authority. Nor is ii too much +
ask the civil authorities and the citizen
generally to let it be known that afte
this year, they will prefer to contribut
flowers and money for decoration an,
celebration purposes to governmental o
popular agencies, and not to any othe
, kind.
Wherefore, that civil citizenship an
its duties may have due field and chanc
against the division and detractions an
demagogues born of civil war and takin
form and force dangerous to liberty, i
the military spirit, let the Grand Arm
of the Republic transmit its memoirs
} work to the people at large and then dir
band"